Making the World a Better Place – One Review at a Time

New in Home Entertainment – February 16, 2016

Steve JobsRated R for languageRotten Tomatoes Score: 85%Available on DVD and Blu-rayIn 2013, director Joshua Michael Stern gave us version 1.0 of the life of Steve Jobs starring Ashton Kutcher, and while the promise was there, the product failed to deliver. With version 2.0 though, Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle and Oscar-winning writer Aaron Sorkin deliver up Michael Fassbender as the iconic tech idol and the result is a brilliant, elegant story that is as engaging as it is enlightening. Rather than a chronological step-by-step, Sorkin opted for a three act play with each act taking place solely at one of the major, now infamous, launch meetings. The acting by Fassbender and fellow cohorts Seth Rogan, Kate Winslet and Jeff Bridges is inspiring and the movie flows like a beautiful symphony. The only thing that doesn’t make sense is the lousy results at the box office. Almost everything Steve ever touched in life, including his official biography, has turned to gold. Could it be that folks have finally lost interest in the once-invincible tech god? A

Black MassRated R for brutal violence, language throughout, some sexual references and brief drug useRotten Tomatoes Score: 75%Available on DVD and Blu-rayJohnny Depp here disappears into the role of James “Whitey” Bolger, the once-powerful Boston gangster who was recently the FBI’s #1 most wanted until his capture a few years ago. The story itself is fascinating enough, as they kept to the saga of the far-reaching corruption exhibited by a multitude of real-life villains. Unfortunately the makeup was tremendously distracting. What should have been Oscar-worthy transformations, looked like something from a bad church play. I would suggest, rather than picking this one up on blu-ray with awesome resolution, opt for the DVD and watch on an old tube TV so that the lousy makeup won’t be as offensive. C+

The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete SeriesAvailable on DVDIt seems like this has been released before, but now officially, comes the entire series in a new box set on 39, count’em, 39 DVDs. All 8 seasons from the 60’s featuring 249 episodes (why couldn’t they have gone for an even 250?) in one set. While this sounds like an unimaginable binge journey, it sure is fun revisiting Mayberry with Andy, Ron Howard and Don Knotts. The show is completely dated, in a good way, and one of the best special features in the set are the original sponsor ads included on the season 2 and 3 discs. A